Push-pull latch



Nov. 11, 1969 M. M. CHECK PUSH-PULL LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 30, 1967 INVENTOR. /7 M CHECK Nov. 11, 1969 M. M. CHECK 3,417,754

PUSHPULL LATCH Filed 001;. 30, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent PUSH-PULL LATCH Mathias M. Check, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to Eaton Yale & Towne Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 679,145 Int. Cl. Ec 1/12, /02; F05b 15/10 U.S. Cl. 292-165 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE control assembly has a cam lever arranged within the door opening and pivoted substantially for movement in the axis of a latch tube assembly that is mounted in a bore formed through the edge of the door. Either handle will rotate the cam lever, one handle acting directly and the other handle through an intermediate lever on the control assembly. The cam lever engages a latchbolt retractor forming a part of the latch tube assembly, and will move the retractor so as to retract thelatchbolt. The cam lever can be assembled in opposed positions relatively to the roses, and also there is a rotatable connection between i the latchbolt and its retractor, enabling the latch to be assembled in reversed positions for changing its hand.

My invention relates to a novel. door latch of the type having a latchbolt that is retracted by the pushing or pulling of a handle.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the latches of this type otter an advantage where a latchbolt action is desired, but where the door frequently must be opened by persons who, for one reason or another, find it inconvenient or impossible to rotate a knob. Merely by moving a handle in the direction in which the door is to open, pushing or pulling the handle as the case may be, a person can retract the latchbolt. Thus, a single application of pressure may suffice to retract the latchbolt and to open the door. I contribute by myinvention a novel latch ofthis type, having a construction that will operate extremely well and that can very readily be mounted in the proper operating position on the door.

The latch of my invention includes a latch tube assembly that is adapted to be mounted in a bore formed through the edge of a door, and a control assembly equipped with a push handle and a pull handle and adapted to be mounted in an opening that is formed through the door. I particularly equip the control assembly with a cam lever that will lie within the opening formed through the door, and that will be operated by either of the handles to actuate the latch tube assembly. More in detail, the cam lever will engage a latchbolt retractor that forms a part of the latch tube assembly, and will move substantially in a direction that is aligned with the retractor.

My novel latch is particularly adapted for use on the door of a patients room ina hospital. I do prefer to utilize levers that form the handles of the latch. I so construct the mechanism of the latch that a rather moderate pressure or pulling force on a lever will be fully effective 3,477,754 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 merely by a door closer. In many cases, however, hospitals and other users do require an operating latchbolt, and in those cases my novel latch will contribute extremely satisfactory service.

I have thus outlined rather broadlythe more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention.

In the'drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a view of my novel latch mounted on a portion of a door.

FIG. 2 shows an inner end views, with the door in section.

FIG. 3 shows a section substantially on the broken line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows parts associated with the outside rose of my latch.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2 of the drawings, my novel latch includes inside and outside roses 10, 11 that will be assembled at opposed ends of an opening 12 that is formed through a door D, and that support a corresponding pull handle 13 and push handle 14. The roses 10, 11 will be mounted in a rather usual way, there being screws 15 extending between the roses and acting to clamp edge portions 16 of the roses against the opposed surfaces of door D. A latch tube 17 is mounted in a bore which is formed through the edge of door D, FIG. 3, the latch tube 17 being secured by screws 18 engaged through openings in a front plate 19 on the latch tube 17. Also, one of the screws 15 will be assembled in openings in latch tube 17, holding tube 17 in a predetermined relation to the roses 10, 11.

I particularly equip my novel latch with a cam lever 20, FIGS. 2 and 3, that is arranged within the opening 12 that is formed through the door. The cam lever 20 is mounted to rotate on a pivot pin ,21 in an upper portion of the door opening 12, and, extends in a downward direction to form a relatively thin lower portion that contributes a cam surface 22. As best seen in FIG. 3, an upper portion of the cam lever 20 offers a cam surface 23 through which the lever will be actuated, so as to move the cam surface 22 in a longitudinal direction relatively to the latch tube 17. V

The inside rose 10 includes a mounting portion 24 assembled within the door opening 12 and having a bore 25a into which is threaded an end portion 25 of pivot pin 21, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG."2, so as to support the pivot pin in a position that is transverse'to the latch tube 17. The outside rose 11 has a similar mount ing portion 26 formed with a relatively large bore 270 that accepts a head 27 on pivot pin 21, further supporting that pin.

When referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, it. maybe observed that the roses 10, 11 have further mounting portions 28, 29, that are reversed in position relatively to the mounting portions 24, 26. For reasons that will appear presently, I prefer to form the mounting portions 28, 29 with bores 25b, 27b like the bores 25a, 27a, enabling me to mount the pivot pin 21 and cam lever 20 in an alternate position. Also, a lower part of each mounting portion 26, 29 on rose 11 is formed with an opening for one of the assembly screws 15, While the portions 24, 28 on rose 10 are formed with bores into which screws 15 are threaded.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a medial portion of the inside rose is formed with an opening for an inner end portion 30 on pull handle 13, and the end portion 30 is assembled by a horizontal pivot pin 32 to a pair of lugs 31 on the rose 10. Further, the end portion 30 of the handle has a nose 33 for coacting with the surface 23 on cam lever 20, FIG. 3. The pull handle 13, when pulled, will rotate about pivot pin 32 so that the nose 33 will actuate cam lever 20.

I prefer to utilize a spring 34 that is assembled about pivot pin 32 and that will press the pull handle 13 toward a normal position as shown in FIG. 2. Shoulder portions 35, 36 on handle 13 will engage the outer surface of rose 10 when the handle is in limit positions, with shoulder 36 accepting forces due to a pull when handle 13 has moved the cam lever to fully actuated position.

As best seen in FIG. 4, and shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, the outside rose 11 has a pair of lugs 37 somewhat like those on the inside rose 10. Lugs 37 support a horizontal pivot 38 for an intermediate lever 39 on which is a nose 40 for coacting with surface 23 on cam lever 20. Lever 39 also has an outer portion 41 that is in aligned relation to an opening in the rose 11.

The outside rose 11 has an extended upper portion 43 that may be secured by a screw 44 to the door surface, FIG. 2, and that is equipped with lugs 45 supporting a pivot 46 for the push handle 14. Somewhat below the pivot 46 the push handle 14 has an arm 47 extending through the opening in rose 11 and formed with a slotted end that engages the portion 41 on the intermediate lever 39. The push handle 14, when pushed, will act through its arm 47 to rotate the intermediate lever 39, causing that lever to actuate the cam lever 20. A coil spring 42 is assembled about the pivot 38 of the intermediate lever 39, and will be efiective to press the lever 39 and the push handle 14 in an outward direction, or in other words toward the normal position shown in FIG. 2.

The latch tube 17 forms a part of an assembly that is shown in FIG. 3, and that includes a latchbolt 48 formed with a usual bevel 49 and mounted to slide in the tube 17, a rod 50 forming a tail for the latchbolt, and a retractor 51 connected to the rod or tail 50. A coil spring 52 is assembled on bolt tail 50 and acts between latchbolt 48 and a washer 53 mounted in the latch tube whereby to press the latchbolt toward projected position.

The retractor 51 has a U shape including opposed side portions 54, one of which is seen in FIG. 3, and a front end portion 55 connecting the portions 54. Those side portions 54 are adapted to slide in contact with the inner surface of latch tube 17, as will be best understood when considering FIG. 2, and are equipped at their rearward ends with a roller 56 for coaction with the cam surface 22 on the cam lever 20.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the latchbolt tail 50 is freely engaged in an opening in the end portion 55 of the retractor 51, permitting the retractor to be rotated on the bolt tail, and is formed with a head 57 which will hold the tail assembled to retractor 51. That construction enables the latchbolt 48 to be installed in positions that are inverted for changingthe hand of my latch. More particularly, a person installing the latch may in effect turn the latch tube 17 and its bolt 48 end-over-end from the position shown in FIG. 3 and assemble them at the opposed sides of the roses 11, 12, while the latchbolt bevel 49 faces in the same direction relative to the outside surface of the door. Sov that the position of the latchbolt retractor 51 need not be inverted, the retractor 51 will be rotated relatively to the bolt tail 50. Also, the person who installs the latch will reverse the position of the cam lever 20, while changing its pivot pin 21 to a position threaded into the bore b. The relation betweenthe parts of the latch then will be the same as in FIG. 3, but as though the view shown in FIG. 3 were reversed. Thus, my push-pull latch is fully reversible and can very easily be assembled on doors of either hand. The latch also can be installed in positions with its push handle and pull handle extending in an upward direction, should that be preferred.

I believe it will now be understood that I contribute by my invention a novel push-pull latch that will oflfer very effective and reliable operation, While merely requiring moderate operating pressures. Moreover, I do that while utilizing a'tubular latch construction that can very easily be mounted on a door. In addition, my latch is reversible so that differing latches need not be built for doors of opposing hand. I believe, therefore, that those persons skilled in the art will understand the very considerable value of my novel push-pull latch, and that the merits of my invention will be fully appreciated.

I now claim:

1. In a latch, inside and outside roses adapted to be mounted in position at opposed ends of an opening formed through a door, a push handle and a pull handle each mounted for individual pivotal movement on one rose, a latch tube equipped with a spring pressed latchbolt and adapted to be mounted in a bore formed through the edge of the door, a cam lever pivoted on one rose and lying within said through opening of the door when the rose is in mounted position, a latchbolt retractor connected to the latchbolt and extending to said cam lever within said through opening, means connecting said one rose and said latch tube within the opening formed through the door so as to hold the cam lever and retractor in a predetermined relation to one another, a cam surface on said cam lever engaging a surface on the bolt retractor, and means through which each push handle and pull handle acts individually when pivoted on its rose to rotate said cam lever on its pivot whereby to retract the latchbolt.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1, in which said cam lever is pivoted subtsantially for movement in a direction that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the latch tube.

3. The construction set forth in claim 1, and including a member mounted for movement on a rose an having'a portion for engaging the cam lever within the through openingof the door, and means through which one of the handles moves said member to rotate said cam lever.

4. The construction set forth in claim 3, in which said cam lever is pivoted substantially for movement in a direction that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the latch tube, and said member being mounted for movement in a direction transverse to said axis.

5. In a latch comprising a latch tube assembly adapted to be mounted in a bore formed through the edge of a door and a control assembly adapted to be mounted in an opening formed through the door, a cam lever forming a part of said control assembly within the through opening of its door, a push handle and a pull handle con nected to said control assembly and mounted for individual pivotal movement at opposed sides of the door, means through which each push handle and pull handle individually actuates said cam lever, means connecting said latch tube assembly and said control assembly within the opening formed through the door so as to hold the cam lever and latch tube assembly in a predetermined relation to one another, and a surface on said cam lever coacting with the latch tube assembly for actuating that assembly.

6. In the construction set forth in claim 5, pivot means mounting said cam lever substantially for movement in a direction that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the latch tube assembly.

7. The construction set forth in claim 5, in which the latch tube assembly includes a latch tube, a spring pressed latchbolt slidable in a longitudinal direction in the latch tube, anda part connected to the latchbolt and supported in position for engagement by the cam lever of the control assembly within the opening that is formed through the door.

8. The construction set forth in claim 7, in which the control assembly includes a movable member engaging the cam lever and through the intermediary of which one handle of the push and pull handles actuates said cam lever, and pivot means mounting said cam lever substantially for movement in a direction that is aligned with the direction in which the latchbolt slides.

9. In a latch comprising a latch tube assembly adapted to be mounted in a bore formed through the edge of a door and including a bevelled latchbolt, and a control assembly adapted to be mounted in an opening formed through the door, and comprising a cam lever, a push handle and a pull handle mounted for individual pivotal movement on said control assembly for operating said cam lever, a retractor on the latch tube assembly effective when assembled in predetermined relation to said cam lever to enable said lever to retract the latchbolt, means connecting said latch tube assembly and said control assembly within the opening formed through the door so as to hold the retractor and cam lever in said predetermined relation, and means for connecting said latchbolt in inverted positions relatively to the retractor so that the retractor may be assembled in its predetermined relation while the hand of the latch is changed through a reversal of the latchbolt bevel.

10. A construction as set forth in claim 9, in which said which the push handle and pull handle are pivoted, and

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,618,344 2/1927 Kopp 146 2,131,458 9/1938 Turner 292 2,504,483 4/1950 Abraham -l. 292--174 2,676,827 4/ 1954 Schlege 292-244 2,803,481 8/ 1957 Williams et al 292-245 2,895,322 7/1959 Pollock 70-153 3,036,850 5/1962 Schmid 292-244 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 292-245, 357 

